The YoungMinds children and young people’s manifesto

We urge all the political parties to implement the manifesto and make it a priority in their election campaigns.

Manifesto main points

1. Stigma still affects us; its about time we were able to talk about how we feel.
2. Dealing with problems when we are young; train primary school staff
3. Growing up is difficult; support us when changes happen in our lives
4. Getting what we need at secondary school; train everyone to understand teenagers problems.
5. Waiting lists and assessments just make it harder; make them shorter and provide us with one worker for all our care.
6. Some doctors don’t listen to us; they need to understand and support us
7. Going to Accident and Emergency can be traumatic; treat us with respect, see beyond our labels
8. Some psychiatric units feel like prisons; learn from the best ones
9. Someone to speak up for us; we all need advocates
10. Lost in the system; don’t forget about us when we are 16 plus
11. We’re the experts; start  listening to us

To read the manifesto in full offline you can download a pdf version here:

• The YoungMinds children and young people's manifesto
  
  

   

  Manifesto policy recommendations;

  From the young people’s manifesto YoungMinds has formulated four policy recommendations to improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing which we would like to see implemented in all the political parties manifestos in the run up to the next general election, and for these recommendations to be embedded in government policy from then on.

  These are;

  •           Reduce stigma

  •           Improve transitions

  •           Healthy Young Minds Standard

  •           Training for the children’s workforce

   

  Download the policy recommendations here